heavy weights and fewer reps or lower weights and more reps?

Diamondmortiz
Diamondmortiz Posts: 19 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I really enjoy weight lifting and have started the StrongLifts 5x5 program. I want to get toned, for example I want muscles on my arm (without having to flex) I can see a little bit but its on the border of just looking like big biceps but not big muscular biceps, does that make sense? :) so my question for you lifting guru's is this, should I continue on the 5x5 program because that focuses on your strenght because he says it will not make you big or should i do what other people do, the normal sets ex.. 3x12, 5x8..etc?
What is better- heavy weights and fewer reps or lower weights and more reps?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Replies

  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    Get strong first, using 5x5. Then start incorporating more volume work later. =)
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,990 Member
    Get strong first, using 5x5. Then start incorporating more volume work later. =)
    This is good advice.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
    Personally? I'd crack on with hypertrophy workouts which is 8-12 reps. This is her development since September last year:

    483635_10151253626121611_315923443_n.jpg

    You can see my other half do this in her training videos here - http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoPiEXSHMC6bN8UWDCZhvkg/videos?view=0
  • Danny_Boy13
    Danny_Boy13 Posts: 2,094 Member
    Get strong first, using 5x5. Then start incorporating more volume work later. =)

    I do the SL5x5 and at the end of either workout A or B I will put in some hypertrophy / volume work.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    I can't quite tell from your post whether you want to "get big" or not, but you're not going to get big without eating more calories than you burn. According to your profile you're trying to lose weight - so presumably you have cut calories. If that's the case, you're not going to get big.
  • Diamondmortiz
    Diamondmortiz Posts: 19 Member
    I dont want to get huge I just want tone and muscle definition...so are you saying I need to eat more to get muscles even though I believe I have enough fat to burn? Thats a sincere question, any help or insight is definitely appreciated.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,990 Member
    I dont want to get huge I just want tone and muscle definition...so are you saying I need to eat more to get muscles even though I believe I have enough fat to burn? Thats a sincere question, any help or insight is definitely appreciated.
    To add muscle, you're going to add weight. To add weight you need a surplus. While fat is an energy source, it can't be converted to protein which is what muscle needs to be rebuilt. You can't rebuild muscle with fat and carbs.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • FitnessGal1983
    FitnessGal1983 Posts: 21
    I'm not an expert so take this with a grain of salt, but trainers have always told me to tone or burn calorie use light weights and more reps. To build muscle use the heaviest weight that will let you do 5-10 reps until you "burn" and can't do anymore.
  • JasonDetwiler
    JasonDetwiler Posts: 364 Member
    I'm not an expert so take this with a grain of salt, but trainers have always told me to tone or burn calorie use light weights and more reps. To build muscle use the heaviest weight that will let you do 5-10 reps until you "burn" and can't do anymore.

    SMH...time to train the trainers

    OP: Read as much as you can from Julia Ladewski. She's amazing. Mother of three, 5'3 120 or so, strong as hell, very good at teaching women how to lift to be strong and sexy, not skinnyfat or bulky.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    I dont want to get huge I just want tone and muscle definition...so are you saying I need to eat more to get muscles even though I believe I have enough fat to burn? Thats a sincere question, any help or insight is definitely appreciated.
    I don't know exactly what look you have in mind, but you will probably get the results you want with lifting heavy at a deficit, and then once you get to your goal, by continuing to lift while eating the number of calories you need to maintain. You don't need to add muscle mass to get muscle definition. If, once you get to your goal weight, you aren't happy and want to add mass, you can do that by eating at a surplus and bulking.
  • Diamondmortiz
    Diamondmortiz Posts: 19 Member
    I dont want to get huge I just want tone and muscle definition...so are you saying I need to eat more to get muscles even though I believe I have enough fat to burn? Thats a sincere question, any help or insight is definitely appreciated.
    I don't know exactly what look you have in mind, but you will probably get the results you want with lifting heavy at a deficit, and then once you get to your goal, by continuing to lift while eating the number of calories you need to maintain. You don't need to add muscle mass to get muscle definition. If, once you get to your goal weight, you aren't happy and want to add mass, you can do that by eating at a surplus and bulking.
    Thank you! This helped out a lot!!
  • Diamondmortiz
    Diamondmortiz Posts: 19 Member
    Get strong first, using 5x5. Then start incorporating more volume work later. =)

    I do the SL5x5 and at the end of either workout A or B I will put in some hypertrophy / volume work.
    Could you tell me what you do after A/B workouts?
  • janeite1990
    janeite1990 Posts: 671 Member
    My philosophy is as heavy as I can. What do I know. i want to be strong, too, though.
  • Loftearmen
    Loftearmen Posts: 380
    Personally? I'd crack on with hypertrophy workouts which is 8-12 reps. This is her development since September last year:

    483635_10151253626121611_315923443_n.jpg

    You can see my other half do this in her training videos here - http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoPiEXSHMC6bN8UWDCZhvkg/videos?view=0

    So she got those from bench pressing?
  • Danny_Boy13
    Danny_Boy13 Posts: 2,094 Member
    Get strong first, using 5x5. Then start incorporating more volume work later. =)

    I do the SL5x5 and at the end of either workout A or B I will put in some hypertrophy / volume work.
    Could you tell me what you do after A/B workouts?

    This is something that I am doing right now:

    Work out "A"

    Squats (5x5)
    Bench (5x5)
    Bent Over Rows (5x5)
    Rest fort the above until full recovery (2-4min) btwn sets

    Then
    Incline Dumbell Press (15, 12, 10, 8, 15
    Incline Fly's (15)
    Rest for the above for (60-90sec) btwn sets and progressively getting heavier in weight as reps are decreased.

    Pull Ups (15, 15, 15, 15)
    Dips (15, 15, 15, 15)
    Rest for the above for (60-90sec) btwn sets



    Work Out "B"

    Squats (5x5)
    Standing Press (5x5)
    Dead Lift (1x5)
    Rest fort the above until full recovery (2-4min) btwn sets

    Then
    Standing Arnold Press (15, 12, 10, 8, 15)
    Lateral Raises (15, 15, 15, 15, 15)
    Rest for the above for (60-90sec) btwn sets and progressively getting heavier in weight as reps are decreased.

    Jerk & Clean (15, 12, 10, 8, 15)
    Rest for the above for (60-90sec) btwn sets and progressively getting heavier in weight as reps are decreased.
  • sphira
    sphira Posts: 132 Member
    Bump for later

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